- "Is it always this intense?"
"No. Well, kind of."
"That's the point, though, right? If you prove yourself here, you know that you're the best." - ―Seth Ridley, Celina Juarez, and Miles Penn[src]
Miles Penn is a recurring character on The Rookie, played by Deric Augustine. He is a Police Officer I and is assigned to the Mid-Wilshire division. His badge number is 653013, and his training officer is Tim Bradford. Penn and Bradford's call sign is 7-Adam-100. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Penn was unable to find somewhere to live, so he started living in the back of his car. Penn's dynamic with Bradford got off to a rocky start, which was made worse when Bradford discovered Penn was illegally living out of his car. Penn was given 24 hours to find a legal living situation and ended up with Quigley Smitty and other police officers in the parking lot behind the LAPD Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
College Years[]
- "I screwed up. All right? I played football in college and I thought I was going pro. So I spent some money before I technically had it. And—"
"You blew out your knee jumping off the roof at a frat party like an idiot." - ―Miles Penn and Tim Bradford[src]
Miles Penn was born in Sugar Land, Texas, and in college, he became a successful football running back. He was friends with teammate AJ Knox who respected Penn's skill and described him as a beast on the field. Thinking his football career was secured, Penn began spending massive amounts of money he didn't have, racking up debt. However, during a fraternity party, Penn got drunk and jumped off the roof of a building, blowing out his knee and ruining his chances of going pro.
Texan Officer[]
- "Two-year veteran of the Sugarland, Texas police department. I've known I was destined for greatness my whole life. But I wasn't gonna find it in a small town, so I came to Hollywood."
- ―Miles Penn[src]
In light of his failed football career, Penn turned to law enforcement, serving as a police officer for two years with the Sugar Land Police Department. However, he believed he was destined for greatness and felt he couldn't achieve his goals in his small town. As a result, he decided to move to LA and continue his law enforcement career there. Since he racked up so much debt, he hardly had money saved and the closest thing he had to a home was his car, his sole possession.
LAPD Rookie[]
Police Academy[]
Penn spent nine months training at the LAPD Police Academy, where he met and befriended Seth Ridley. Penn and Ridley ended up getting assigned to the same station, the LAPD Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division.
Preparing for Patrol[]
Penn and Seth Ridley talk to Tim Bradford
- "I'm so nervous. You nervous? That's stupid. You don't get- you don't get nervous."
"Not gettin' and not showin' are two different things." - ―Seth Ridley and Miles Penn[src]
On his first day as a fully-fledged officer, Penn walked to the LAPD Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division and entered the locker room, where he talked to Seth Ridley about how nervous they were, with Penn advising Ridley to not show his jitters. Penn watched as Tim Bradford walked up to Ridley and told him to quit before getting on the streets. Penn laughed under his breath, causing Bradford to menacingly ask him if something was funny.
Penn is offered help by Celina Juarez
Penn mockingly called him a drill sergeant before John Nolan bid them good morning and said he hoped to learn the rookies' names if they survived the week. He and Ridley left for the roll call room, where they were greeted by Celina Juarez. She offered to help them learn the ropes, but Penn stated that he had already served two years in Texas and sat down with her and Ridley. Lieutenant Wade Grey called the beginning of roll call and informed the officers about the Blair London scandal before asking Penn and Ridley to introduce themselves.
Penn introduces himself to the officers
Penn stated his name and badge number but also added that he was destined for greatness, citing it as the reason he moved to LA. Grey questioned if he had asked for extra comments, and Penn stated it was free of charge. Grey told Penn to keep it to himself, or he would find greatness elsewhere. Grey then assigned Penn to be trained by Bradford while Ridley was assigned to Lucy Chen. Upon seeing Chen, Penn asked if it was too late to ask to swap TOs, but Bradford ordered him to go set up their shop and told him he would be graded on a curve.[1]
First Shift[]
Penn plugs in a partial to a plate reader
- "That was all bad, Texas. Strike one, you jumped out the car while I was trying to communicate. What if I was trying to tell you I saw a gun or a second suspect? Strike two, you ran out in front of my field of fire, so I couldn't engage even if I had to. And strike three, by going to that driver's side alone, you left an escape route out the passenger side."
- ―Tim Bradford to Miles Penn[src]
In their shop, Penn and Tim Bradford heard a BOLO for a gray vehicle with a partial plate over the radio. Penn asked if they had license plate readers, to which Bradford said yes. Penn then plugged in the partial, but they soon heard that the suspect had been apprehended and that he had possibly overdosed on the drugs he had stolen from a pharmacy. Penn said that taxpayers would save millions of dollars if he died, but Bradford told him they never hoped a suspect would die.
Penn orders the driver to show his hands
Suddenly, a speeding car skidded in front of them to make a turn, and Bradford turned on the shop lights and sirens. Penn ran the plate and reported that the car had been stolen that morning, jokingly telling Bradford he would shoot out the tires. Bradford followed the car down the street until it crashed into a parked car. Penn hastily jumped out of the shop and aimed his gun at the driver's side window, yelling for the driver to show his hands. The driver ran out from the passenger side but quickly collapsed on the road.
Penn is reprimanded by Tim Bradford
As Penn put the driver in handcuffs, Bradford reprimanded Penn for how he handled the situation and told him that he might end up having to write the driver checks for years due to his comment about shooting out the tires. Penn put the driver in the back of the shop before Bradford drove back to the station, where he commanded Penn to ensure every VIN on the stolen car matched. However, as a tow truck brought in the crashed car, the radioactivity alarm went off, and Penn and Bradford quickly exited the garage. Back in the station, Bradford told Penn to study his Rook Book upon being called into Grey's office.
Penn talks to Seth Ridley and Celina Juarez
Penn met up with Seth Ridley and Celina Juarez at the top of the stairs, and they talked about how the day had taken an intense turn. Penn suggested that that was the point and that if one proved oneself, they would be the best, but Ridley said it was not like that for him, saying he just wanted to help people. Juarez then guessed that Penn and Ridley were Aries and Pisces, respectively, and they told her she was correct, asking how she knew. She nonchalantly said that it was a gift before going to talk to ADA Wesley Evers.
Penn braces for the impact of the crash
Penn got back out on the streets with Bradford, who informed him that the radioactivity that had been detected in the parking garage was from a nuclear bomb. A chase for the truck carrying the bomb started, and they soon had the vehicle in their sights. Bradford radioed to Matthew Garza, an FBI agent who was in a helicopter providing an aerial view, and asked if it was safe to crash into the truck. Garza stated that the bomb could withstand an outside impact in theory.
Penn watches the firefight with Seth Ridley
Penn nervously said that Garza's reponse sounded like a no, but Bradford told him to hang on. As they were about to crash into the truck, it swerved, narrowly missing Penn's shop. Bradford quickly made a U-turn and continued the chase. The truck soon stopped, and three occupants began shooting at the pursuing officers' shops. Penn and Bradford exited their shop and found cover, with Penn standing next to Ridley. The suspects soon ran off, with one being shot by Lucy Chen, so the officers pursued them.
Penn and the other officers take cover
The shooters noticed they were being followed in the middle of a staircase and began shooting at Penn, Bradford, and Chen, who all took cover behind a structure at the top of the staircase. Penn watched as one of the two remaining suspects threatened to shoot the nuke, which was on the other suspect's back. As the officers and the shooter remained at an intense standstill, the suspect was shot by John Nolan, who had gone unnoticed at the bottom of the staircase. All the suspects were then taken into custody.
Penn goes to sleep in the back of his car
At the end of their shifts, Penn and Ridley encountered Bradford in the locker room. Bradford asked Ridley if he made any mistakes, and Ridley admitted to having puked on a crime scene. Bradford informed Penn that he had nearly written a blue page due to Penn's behavior, telling Penn not to mistake his leniency for kindness and that he was on thin ice before leaving. Penn then drove and parked in a neighborhood not too far from the district, where he rinsed his mouth with mouthwash and got in his backseat to go to bed.
Finding a New Home[]
The next morning, he awoke for work and traveled there with a large backpack but his quick arrival and unnecessary amounts of supplies enacts a reprimand from Bradford. Penn had to remark how intense the latter was but the latter ignored this. Penn does a walk around with little problem, even flirting with an attractive woman. After leaving work, he was horrified that Bradford discovered he was illegally living out of his car. Penn was forced to explain his reasons and Bradford understood but gives him 24 hours to find a legal living situation.
The next day, the team discovered an imposter masquerading as a new vigilante and killing gangsters. However, once the real vigilante is caught, he reveals an alibi that cleared him but reveals a vengeful mother who took to hunting the gangsters. Penn and Bradford arrived when the rest of the squad was pinned down and shootout. Penn was permitted by Bradford to use a flash bang and this allowed the squad to apprehend the gangsters. Soon they were present to witness the mother and remaining gangsters being arrested.
Penn at his new home.
Penn later discussed with Ridley and Celina about the day. He soon spoke up about his problems with Bradford and he thinks that he might wash out, since he had no luck. Both Ridley and Celina voice how they could not take him in but Celina had a solution. That night, Penn called Bradford who inquired on his residence and Penn revealed how he ended up in Quigley Smitty's Shangri-La West Gate trailer park. He explained to Bradford it was only temporary, while the annoyed Sergeant permitted this arrangement, telling Penn he would see him the next day. Smitty also welcomed Penn to his new home, something that caused him to smile.[2]
Job and Relationship Trouble[]
Both Penn and Ridley were fixing up their shops, before Chen tells them they are temporarily being reassigned training officers. She noticed the pair were distracted and Penn pointed out to Chen that she had an attractive visitor asking for her. Penn and Ridley both commented on her beauty. Penn gets Chen, while Ridley got Bradford with this being done to test their skill in policing. Penn was actually pleased with this arrangement though still got a reprimand after he called Chen a nickname. Later, the LAPD answer a home invasion and witness a woman being held captive. Although told to stay back, both he and Ridley still enter the house through the back door, while the burglar is distracted with the cops in the front. Penn reassured the reluctant Ridley, stating God was looking out for them. Using some quick thinking, the two work together to save the captive and apprehend the robber, with Penn giving Ridley the honor to call it in. This declaration surprised their superiors who watch as they come out with the offender in custody. Despite praise from other officers and some small fame, the two receive reprimand from Chen, Bradford, and Grey for diving in recklessly. However, because they did protect a civilian and caught the suspect, Grey can't suspend them, though he lets them off with a warning after they write on the board of not going rogue.
Bradford and Penn respond to a VARDA alarm at a women's shelter, where an irate husband tries to get in to see his wife. With the help of Bailey Nune, they manage to arrest the man. When he keeps yelling, Penn threatens to "bust [his] teeth out [of his] mouth," and Bradford quickly reprimands him, saying the guy could sue the police department for Penn's comment. Penn admits he had a similar call in Texas during his first year, and the guy killed the kids too because Penn didn't get there in time. Bradford is understanding, but tells Penn to make sure they don't let abusive guys go free because of their anger.[3]
At one point, he was tasked with hunting a raccoon that strayed in the building but ended up trapped in the police cruiser. He is relieved when Celina catches it but dismayed by Bradford allowing him to be trapped because of incompetence.[4]
During a usual day, he is served with a lawsuit by Camilla's father. Having no money and still being in debt, he is forced to come up with something to pawn. After careful consideration, he gives up his football ring. As a result of his legal manners, he goes to court while missing the chaos caused by an April Fool's prank.[5]
Reunion with an old friend[]
Penn reunites with his old teammate
He is still sleeping in his car in the trailer park, before he is awoken at sunrise by Celina and her boyfriend Rodge for their morning run. Rodge also complimented his residence but he states he'd take a real home over a car. Afterwards, he was at the crime scene of a murder/bombing and wondered where the suspect went. While there, he reunites with AJ Knox, an old friend and former college football teammate. The two caught up before AJ invites Penn to a party at his mansion, something the latter eagerly accepts. That night, Miles shows up to the house and meets Sean Larson, AJ's childhood friend and personal assistant. Soon Penn witnessed AJ doing a televised interview, before the latter points him out and the broadcaster recognizes Penn, inquiring about his new life. Penn explained that he is now a cop, with the broadcaster calling that admirable from changing to protecting his teammates on the field to protecting the streets. Penn half-heartedly acknowledged though felt a sting at watching AJ bask in his career.
Penn quickly becomes suspicious of Sean, especially when catching him stealing AJ's jewelry, though Sean asserts that AJ lets him borrow it. AJ is revealed to know but doesn't care, since Sean is in his trusted circle. Penn wanders through the party, where he formally meets and defends Rachel Hall, who was drunk and being accosted by another man. Penn easily subdues the man, who backs off and Rachel tries to come onto him but he rebuffs her, as she angrily storms off. As a result, he calls Chen and lets her know how her friend was spiraling. This caused her and Celina, along with Rodge to come to the party.
The next morning, he and AJ talk before AJ surprises him with a job offer as a member of his security and a chance to enjoy all the luxuries as him. He gives the surprised Penn time to think over before Sean arrives and is seemingly more pleasant and offers strawberry spinach smoothies that only AJ and the bouncer accept; Penn declines the smoothie. Soon Penn gets a call from his colleagues, he is informed that a robbery crew (connected to the car bomber) is coming to the mansion, and they have an inside man. A horrified Penn then witnesses AJ's bouncer pass out and AJ collapsing, just as two gunmen show up. Penn quickly realizes Sean is the mole and that he drugged the smoothies. Penn kicks him away, grabs AJ and runs, getting into a shootout while telling Harper to send back-up because the chaos is going down. Arriving at a pool inside the house, Penn tells the confused AJ that Sean has betrayed him just as Chen and Juarez (who were alerted by the shots) arrive to back him up.
Penn subdues a robber
After a stand-off, Sean's voice speaks up and admits that the robbery was planned for him to pay off a massive debt with some dangerous people, and he needed the robbery to go down so that he can make the money and pay them off. Sean even says that his plans were ruined when AJ invited the suspicious Penn to the party and he started snooping. AJ notices Sean's shadow approaching and pushes Penn to safety. This noise alerts Sean who gets thrown into the pool by Penn, where the two struggle until Penn overcomes him and detains him, impressing AJ with this feat. Wheeler and his partner are wounded by Chen and Juarez before being promptly apprehended by Nolan and his group after failing to escape. Sean is also arrested for his role in the robbery. Afterwards, AJ visits the Mid Wilshire Police Station, where he talks with Quigley Smitty and laughs off his words before he offers Penn a job as his new chief of security. The position will pay more than the LAPD does, but Penn decides to decline the position, with AJ respecting his decision. AJ also formally meets Penn's training officer Tim Bradford, who tells him Penn would accept seasonal tickets as gratitude, something AJ promises to provide.[6]
Horrible Date Gone Wrong[]
Penn realizes he's in danger.
After a catfish case, Bradford asks him if he's still eager to get back to dating, as he answers not so much. Much later, he matches with a gorgeous woman from a dating site named Rina Davitt. The pair meet at a restaurant, where they make small talk, and things go well until Penn notices her necklace and recognizes it as a possible hint to a gang affiliation. He excuses himself and calls Juarez to share his suspicions with her. Juarez quickly runs Rina through the LAPD database and finds her record, just as Penn overheard voices from outside. Juarez warns Penn that Rina and her brother Ace are affiliated with the Eastern Front, something he realizes when he hears her associates outside of the restaurant planning to ambush and kidnap him after Rina lures him to them. The attack stems from Penn and the squad putting some of their members in jail. They quickly notice Penn watching them and move in, with Penn darting out of the restaurant.
Penn is pursued in the city.
Penn rushes past a protesting Rina and borrows a car, ending up in a chase with the gang. Taking heavy fire, Penn calls for back-up while being pursued and shot at through the city. Fortunately, Juarez notified Chen, recently promoted to Night Sergeant of his situation. After Chen contacts him and instructs him to lead the chase to her, he manages to outmaneuver the Eastern Front associates who are promptly blindsided and arrested by Chen and her fellow officers, who were working the night shift. Relieved to see her, Penn thanks his new Sergeant for the help and says the team did well. Afterwards, he decides to stay away from dating for a while.[7]
Personality[]
- "Can't let 'em smell fear, dude. They'll eat you alive, so you gotta walk the walk no matter what."
- ―Miles Penn to Seth Ridley[src]
During his first day on the job, Penn gave off an arrogant vibe by stating to his new colleagues that he believed he was destined for greatness. He viewed himself as better than some of the other rookies because of his previous experience as a cop. This attitude earned him several reprimands and nearly caused him to wash out on his first day. Penn's behavior goes back to his youth, as he racked up a massive amount of debt spending money he didn't have after thinking he had secured a football career. His dream was ruined by his party-boy ways when he sustained a career-ending injury, resulting in him living in his car. He was also snarky, asking Tim Bradford if Penn himself was a cowboy after Bradford recommended a highly dangerous way to stop a fleeing suspect in possession of a nuke.
Under the tutelage of Bradford, Penn became humbler. When the former discovered Penn's living situation and gave him an ultimatum, Penn resorted to asking for help. He is slowly finding his way, as he sold his sports ring to pay off a lawsuit and refused a profitable job from an old friend that could potentially pay his debt and give him a real home; he acknowledges that would bring him back to the dream he squandered, and his new dream was being better than his past self.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Unnamed Grandmother
- Unnamed Mother
Allies[]
- Los Angeles Police Department - Colleagues
- Seth Ridley - Friend
- Tim Bradford - Training Officer
- Celina Juarez - Friend
- Wade Grey - Superior
- John Nolan - Colleague
- Nyla Harper - Colleague
- Angela Lopez - Colleague
- Lucy Chen - Training Officer/Friend
- Quigley Smitty - Colleague/Landlord
- Wesley Evers - Acquaintance
- Rodge Bronson - Acquaintance
- AJ Knox- Friend
- Rachel Hall - Acquaintance
Enemies[]
- Sean Larson - Attempted Killer
- Rina Davitt
- Eastern Front - Attempted Killers
Appearances[]
| The Rookie: Season 7 | ||||||||||
| "The Shot": | "The Watcher": | "Out of Pocket": | "Darkness Falling": | "Til Death": | "The Gala": | |||||
| Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | |||||
| "The Mickey": | "Wildfire": | "The Kiss": | "Chaos Agent": | "Speed": | "April Fools": | |||||
| Appears | Appears | Absent | Appears | Appears | Absent | |||||
| "Three Billboards": | "Mad About Murder": | "A Deadly Secret": | "The Return": | "Mutiny And The Bounty": | "The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar": | |||||
| Appears | Appears | Absent | Appears | Appears | Appears | |||||
Notes[]
- Celina Juarez guesses accurately that Penn is an Aries, which would put his birthdate somewhere between March 21 and April 19.
- He is allergic to strawberries, as mentioned in "Three Billboards".
- He claims to be good at cooking barbecue, boasting he could outshine Grey.
- In his introduction, Penn stated he was destined for greatness, over the course in his time at Mid-Wilshire, he is slowly achieving his goal.
- In "The Shot", he helped in stopping a nuclear bomb from causing chaos.
- In "The Watcher", he threw a flash bang to stop a shoot-out with gangsters, saving his team.
- In "Out of Pocket", with some quick thinking from Ridley, he apprehended a burglar while saving a captive woman and they earned small praise from the public and other officers. However, both were reprimanded for going rogue by their superiors.
- During "Three Billboards", he foiled the violent home invasion of his friend AJ Knox, keeping him safe while he was drugged and they were under fire, and single-handedly subdued the mastermind while the rest of the team apprehended the other burglars. Bradford even complimented his handle of the situation.
- In "The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar", his experience with the Eastern Front helped him discover Rina Davitt was affiliated with them, thanks to this foresight he evaded being ambushed by her associates. Penn also survived a high speed chase from the Eastern Front, despite being shot at repeatedly before he led them into a trap set up by Chen.
- He reveals he stopped playing football as a hobby after his injury "The Good, The Bad, And The Oscar".